Tamiya acrylics and thinner- How much to thin?

I use anywhere from 7:2 to 7:3, although I have not been using it very long.

I use anywhere from 7:2 to 7:3, although I have not been using it very long.

You are trying to be too accurate.  That's like measuring out the exact amount of sugar to put in your coffee.

Thinning paint isn't science and it doesn't have to be that acurate.  Read This Page on my web site.  If you try to be that accurate you are going to spend more time thinning paint than painting and are always going to be frustrated.  As the paint thickens in the bottle over time the thinning ratio is going to change.  As the temperature changes the paint will thicken or thin and the thinning ratio is going to change.  Paint viscosity will change from manufacturer to manufacturer, from color to color, even from bottle to bottle and this will affect the thinning ratio.  Many things affect the thinning ratio and it isn't a critical number.

Pick a pressure you want to spray at.  Thin the paint to about 3:1.  If it doesn't want to spray properly add a little more thinner or a little more pressure.  If it sprays thin and watery add a little more paint or drop the pressure slightly.  I start at 10 psi and 3:1.  If things don't work I adjust from there.

What MusicCity advised is very true.  I had this problem crop up when using Tamiya XF-27(Black Green) for a camo job.  For some reason this one color wasn't spraying finelines as well as the others for my camo job.  I corrected the problem by simply adjusting the paint/thinner/air pressure settings.  For general painting, I thin Tamiya 2:1, and for fine-line and detail, I thin them 1:1.  I thin my Tamiya acrylics with Denatured Alcohol.  I have found that it blends the paint a bit more thouroughly and doesn't flatten the gloss colors. Denatured alcohol cost far less than the Tamiya thinner and works equally well as a cleaner for your airbrush.  A 1Quart can of Denatured Alcohol can be purchased for as little as $3.00 from your local Home stores, Sherman Williams paint stores, etc.  Good luck!

 

I use a Badger 100g and Tamiya for 99% of my AB needs.  I guess I thin it a little more then the rest.  for general coverage I spray at 1:1 at about 10 psi.  Unless Im doing something large then 2:1 15 psi..  For finer work I thin 1:2 and drop to about 5 psi.  And I always use tamiya thinner.  I have used lacquer thinner also and it works very well also.

You use Tamiya Enamel or Acrylic ? Both are quite different.

If it's Acrylic, they I usually use "near" 1:1. As with every mix, It's always until it look like milk. Tamiya Enamel will need more thinner than Acrylic since it's thicker.

It really depends on the color also.  The troublesome white's, yellow's and some of the really light grays I don't thin at all.  Use the old milk consistency trick and than adjust.  If it's too runny add some more paint, if it's not spraying well or spitting and clogging thin it down.  Keep extra scrap plastic parts around for testing on.

The acrylics.

Hopefully I 'll get to try it out this weekend if housework and my wife don't keep me too busy.

And the model/paint guy at my lcal Hobby Town also recommended the 1:1 thing, and also recommended isopropyl to thin with. How does this work for anybody?

And the color will be Olive Drab on my M41.

Wish me luck on my first complete kit!

And the model/paint guy at my lcal Hobby Town also recommended the 1:1 thing, and also recommended isopropyl to thin with. How does this work for anybody

Way too thin for my tastes, but if it works for you that's great.  There are no cut-and-dried rules other than finding what you like.

Just start with 2 paint for 1 thinner. Look how tick it is. if it look OK, go for it. If not, add a bit of thinner. There is no real recipe such as 1:1. It's by taste and feel.